In Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka may be facing the most serious threat to his regime since he took power in 1994. The government’s inept response to the coronavirus pandemic has made the president vulnerable, and multiple opposition candidates have already been arrested and face jail sentences for political activity. Thousands have taken to the streets to protest the regime and the unfair candidate registration process. On August 9, Belarus will hold its presidential election. What should we expect? Why is Lukashenka denouncing Moscow now? Do any of the opposition candidates have a chance?
Dr. Michael Carpenter, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and senior director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement; Hanna Liubakova, journalist at Outriders; and Franak Viacorka, vice president of the Digital Communications Network, discuss what is next for Belarus. Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, moderates the discussion.
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The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting policies that strengthen stability, democratic values, and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe in the West to the Caucasus, Russia, and Central Asia in the East.